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UPDATE: SAA in Aleppo makes progress

August 31, 2016 - Fort Russ News -

By J. Arnoldski

The battle for Aleppo is raging, from a war of attrition, now some notable gains can be discussed. All attention on the twisting and turning situation in Syria is now fixated on the Syrian Arab Army and allied forces’ advance in capturing key districts of the city.

As Russian and Syrian aircraft continue to pin down terrorist movements and the SAA’s headway reaches a strategically critical juncture, reports have appeared and were repeated on Al Masdar News from military sources reporting to them, that two days ago Russian advisors, perhaps as many as 120, have arrived to coordinate battle plans, and were seen travelling up Castello Road from the south-west direction of the city, in a small armored column. Relevant forecasts indicate that further Syrian progress in cutting off the route between Mushrifah and Um Al Qara Hill and assaulting al-Fatah militants in the areas of the 1070 Apartment Project, Air Force Technical College, Ramouseh Roundabout, and Khan Tuman-Ramouseh road could result in the swift collapse of terrorists’ defense. Reinforcements from Syria’s combat-hardened 4th division in southwestern Aleppo, in addition to increased humanitarian evacuation efforts under way over the past few days, indicate that the fighting is only going to intensify as the above-mentioned goals come closer into Syrian reach.

According to a military source reporting to Russian Spring, the SAA, pro-government militias, and Hezbollah, all supported by Russian strikes, have gained key ground in cutting off ammunition and reinforcement routes to militants. The main fighting is in the North and South-West of the city. Despite sorties by militant groupings, Khan Tuman is now under "fire control" by Syrian and allied forces while terrorists at Ramouseh are holed up. The source also relayed that Russian air forces are in "free hunting" mode, i.e., striking any and all militant targets in sight, especially infrastructure.

Militants have repeatedly tried to disrupt the joint Russian-Syrian humanitarian corridors, which has drawn condemnation from the Russian foreign ministry's representative, Maria Zakharova.

The upsurge in fighting in and around Aleppo is paralleled by equally important developments in Turkey’s Euphrates Shield operation. Indeed, the two are intimately connected. The large Turkish force that entered Syrian territory on August 24th to clear out ISIS and Kurdish forces in Jarubulus has since advanced southwest. Analysts do not agree on the significance of the Turkish force. Officials have made contradictory statements.